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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: bay · pitcher · hand · charge · deal · rule · band · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rule — government
  3. band — a ring
  4. charge — in control
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. hand — in cards
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. charge — a price
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. hand — help
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. band — a music group
  19. charge — electricity
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rule — a law
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rule — to rule out

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