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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. deal — to handle
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. tube — a container
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rule — a law
  13. toast — bread
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rash — a series
  16. hand — help
  17. bark — to shout
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rash — hasty
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rule — government
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. hand — in cards

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