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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 124 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wind — moving air
  3. march — the month
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fine — high quality
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wind — moving air
  9. suit — clothes
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. deal — to handle
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. game — a match
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. suit — to fit
  21. fine — all right
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. deal — a big deal

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