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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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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: deal · kick · net · perch · stick · rash · band · ground

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rash — hasty
  3. net — after costs
  4. rash — a series
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. net — for catching
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. band — a ring
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ground — the earth
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. perch — the fish
  21. net — in sport
  22. ground — a position
  23. band — a music group
  24. deal — a big deal

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