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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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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: wake · wound · pitcher · lean · chip · saw · fine · deal

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chip — for betting
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — a trail
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fine — all right
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fine — high quality
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. lean — thin
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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