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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: net · hand · mug · wound · cap · deal · fine · last

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fine — high quality
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. cap — of ice
  5. hand — in cards
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. net — after costs
  10. last — to go on
  11. deal — to handle
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. fine — all right
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wound — an injury
  17. last — finally
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. cap — a lid
  21. last — final
  22. net — for catching
  23. mug — a face
  24. cap — a hat

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