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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · deal · mine · roll · fine · racket

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. deal — to handle
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. object — a thing
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fine — all right
  13. object — an aim
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. fine — high quality
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. roll — a cake

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