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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. kid — child
  6. ground — the earth
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stand — to bear
  11. branch — a division
  12. game — a match
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. suit — clothes
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. game — wild animals
  21. suit — to fit
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. branch — of a tree

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