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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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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: stick · kid · net · game · last · ruler · deal · mug

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mug — a face
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. deal — to handle
  5. net — in sport
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. net — after costs
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — to go on
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. net — for catching
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kid — child
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. last — final
  19. mug — a cup
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. kid — to tease
  24. game — a match

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