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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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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: stand · game · deal · mark · band · bear · mug · snap

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bear — the animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mark — a grade
  11. band — a music group
  12. stand — to bear
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. game — a match
  16. band — a ring
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mug — a face
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mug — a cup

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