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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: deal · cabinet · rule · kid · present · season

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. present — there
  3. rule — government
  4. present — a gift
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. present — the time now
  11. season — of the year
  12. rule — a law
  13. kid — child
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. season — in sport

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