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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · game · mouse · pit · pitcher · hand · mug · deal

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. deal — to handle
  4. hand — in cards
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. game — a match
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pit — a hole
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hand — help
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mouse — the animal

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