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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bark — to shout
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. swing — in golf
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bowl — to roll

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