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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · pit · rule · suit · kid · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rule — government
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rule — a law
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pit — a hole
  9. deal — to handle
  10. suit — in cards
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. deal — an agreement

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