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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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Word bank
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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: bear · rule · club · date · deal · stand

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. club — a group
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. club — for golf
  14. bear — the animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. club — for dancing

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