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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: deal · fork · wind · cell · bay · pitcher · racket · game

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. game — a match
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wind — moving air
  24. deal — a big deal

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