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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: kid · rest · object · rule · stick · bowl

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rule — a law
  3. rest — what's left
  4. object — a thing
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. kid — child
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kid — to tease
  15. object — an aim
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — a break

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