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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kid — child
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. scale — in music
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rest — a break
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. firm — decided
  13. rule — government
  14. rest — what's left
  15. scale — size or range
  16. firm — a company
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — steady
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. scale — for weighing

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