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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: firm · snap · deal · fine · cell · hand · game · ball

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cell — in biology
  4. firm — a company
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. game — a match
  8. snap — to click
  9. ball — a great time
  10. firm — steady
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. game — wild animals
  16. firm — decided
  17. fine — all right
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cell — a phone
  23. hand — help
  24. cell — in a prison

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