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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: net · ruler · rule · dip · kid · charge

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rule — a law
  3. charge — in control
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. rule — government
  7. kid — child
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. charge — electricity
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. net — after costs
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. charge — a price
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. dip — to sink

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