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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. land — ground
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. squash — to crush
  5. deal — to handle
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. last — to go on
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. last — finally
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rule — government
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rule — a law
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. last — final
  24. kid — child

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