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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rash — a series
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rest — what's left
  7. degree — from a university
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rule — government
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rule — a law
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rash — on the skin

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