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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · present · fan · pit · hand · deal · court · rule

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rule — a law
  6. spell — a short time
  7. present — a gift
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — of a king
  13. deal — to handle
  14. hand — help
  15. spell — letters
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. court — for sport
  18. present — there
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rule — government
  21. spell — magic
  22. court — of law
  23. present — the time now
  24. deal — an agreement

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