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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 · rule · mate · fine · pass · deal · root · cap

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mate — a friend
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. root — of a plant
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fine — all right
  14. rule — a law
  15. fine — high quality
  16. root — the cause
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. kid — child
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. root — of a word

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