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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: game · row · ground · shower · firm · trunk · mug · deal

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. firm — a company
  4. mug — a cup
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. game — a match
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. firm — steady
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mug — to rob
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. mug — a face
  15. game — wild animals
  16. shower — to wash
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. ground — the earth
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. shower — rain

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