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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: wave · mate · deal · band · chip · rule

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rule — a law
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. band — a music group
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rule — government
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. band — a ring
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mate — a friend
  18. band — a rubber band

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