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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 · game · hand · bear · wound · object · fine · pitch

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fine — all right
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. game — wild animals
  7. hand — in cards
  8. fine — high quality
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wound — an injury
  12. game — a match
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. hand — help
  19. object — to protest
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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