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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: plane · bowl · rule · jam · club · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. club — for golf
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — government
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. club — a group
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. club — for dancing
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bowl — a dish

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