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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: stick · mug · rule · lie · deal · court · net · bulb

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rule — government
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. court — for sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rule — a law
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. court — of a king
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. net — in sport
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. court — of law
  20. bulb — for light
  21. net — after costs
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lie — to recline
  24. net — for catching

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