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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: nail · date · straw · mug · perch · game · deal · ruler

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mug — a face
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mug — a cup
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. game — a match
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mug — to rob
  23. game — wild animals
  24. perch — for a bird

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