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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: game · mark · deal · bore · net · current · rule · arm

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rule — a law
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mark — a trace
  9. current — happening now
  10. game — wild animals
  11. net — for catching
  12. current — of water
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. net — after costs
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. current — electric
  19. bore — to drill
  20. net — in sport
  21. game — a match
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rule — government
  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