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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · suit · pound · mark · deal · straw · march · game

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. game — a match
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bat — the animal
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. march — the month
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. deal — to handle
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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