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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 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bound — tied together
  3. kid — to tease
  4. rule — a law
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rule — government
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kid — child
  10. firm — a company
  11. bound — certain
  12. band — a music group
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rash — a series
  15. firm — decided
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bound — obliged
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. band — a ring
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. firm — steady

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