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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 116 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: deal · patient · perch · straw · fine · snap · game · racket

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fine — high quality
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fine — all right
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. game — a match
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. snap — to click
  20. perch — the fish
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. patient — a sick person

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