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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 120 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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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: pop · cue · saw · deal · firm · wound · nail · game

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pop — music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cue — a signal
  8. firm — steady
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cue — a hint
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. firm — decided
  19. deal — to handle
  20. game — wild animals
  21. firm — a company
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. game — a match
  24. pop — soda

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