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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 116 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. club — a group
  6. rule — a law
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. cell — in biology
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rule — government
  19. cell — a phone
  20. content — happy
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. staff — employees
  24. root — of a plant

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