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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: deal · swing · leaves · pass · dip · game · net · row

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. swing — music
  5. game — a match
  6. net — after costs
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. dip — to sink
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. net — in sport
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pass — a permit
  19. net — for catching
  20. swing — in golf
  21. game — wild animals
  22. swing — to play on
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pass — to succeed

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