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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 · squash · rule · toast · band · charge · temple · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. charge — a price
  3. band — a music group
  4. rule — a law
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. toast — bread
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. squash — to crush
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. deal — to handle
  14. roll — a cake
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. rule — government

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