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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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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: rule · suit · hand · deal · saw · date · degree · mark

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mark — a grade
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rule — a law
  5. degree — from a university
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. degree — an amount
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mark — a trace
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rule — government
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. deal — to handle
  21. hand — in cards
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. degree — temperature
  24. hand — help

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