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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: degree · rule · chair · dip · season · deal

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. deal — to handle
  3. season — of the year
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rule — government
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. season — in sport
  15. rule — a law
  16. degree — an amount
  17. chair — a leader
  18. degree — temperature

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