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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. chip — to eat
  4. deal — to handle
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cold — an illness
  7. mate — a friend
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. can — a tin
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. can — to be able to
  12. net — for catching
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mate — a partner
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. net — after costs
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cold — not warm
  19. hand — help
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. can — a tin
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. net — in sport
  24. mate — to breed

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