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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. object — to protest
  4. deal — to handle
  5. object — a thing
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rule — government
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rule — a law
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rush — hurry
  16. object — an aim
  17. ground — a position
  18. foot — a measure
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. ground — crushed

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