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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rule — government
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pop — to visit
  5. net — in sport
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. band — a music group
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pop — music
  13. rule — a law
  14. net — after costs
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. band — a ring
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. charge — a price
  21. snap — to click
  22. net — for catching
  23. pop — soda
  24. deal — to handle

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