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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 120 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: track · squash · deal · rule · pit · chair

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. 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 — a big deal
  2. rule — a law
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — a path
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. squash — the sport
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rule — government
  11. pit — in a race
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. chair — a leader
  18. 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