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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mate — to breed
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mate — a partner
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mate — a friend
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. game — a match
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. craft — a skill
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. nail — for a hammer

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