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

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

Answer key

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

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