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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fine — all right
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rule — government
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. hand — help
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. game — a match
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rule — a law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com