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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rule — government
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. object — to protest
  8. court — of law
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. suit — in cards
  11. band — a music group
  12. deal — to handle
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. band — a ring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. court — for sport
  19. object — an aim
  20. rule — a law
  21. object — a thing
  22. suit — clothes
  23. court — of a king
  24. suit — to fit

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