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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: fork · deal · fine · dip · fan · game · lie · ground

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. ground — a position
  3. fine — all right
  4. game — a match
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ground — the earth
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fork — in a road
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lie — to recline
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. game — wild animals

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