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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. deal — to handle
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pit — in a race
  5. band — a ring
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rule — a law
  9. kid — child
  10. pop — music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kid — to tease
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pop — soda
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. band — a music group
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. toast — bread
  23. rule — government
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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