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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 · firm · racket · bear · rule · mine · pitch · leaves

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mine — for digging
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. firm — a company
  10. rule — government
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bear — the animal
  14. firm — decided
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bear — the animal
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pitch — completely
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rule — a law
  24. firm — steady

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