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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: mate · deal · racket · shower · board · rule

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. deal — to handle
  3. shower — rain
  4. rule — government
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rule — a law
  8. mate — a friend
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mate — a partner
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. shower — to wash
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mate — to breed
  18. board — to get on

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