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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mate — a partner
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. charge — in control
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. charge — a price
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. game — a match
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. sharp — clever

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