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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: mark · temple · deal · clip · season · mug · club · rule

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. season — of the year
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. clip — to cut
  5. mug — a face
  6. club — for dancing
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rule — government
  9. mug — to rob
  10. season — in sport
  11. club — a group
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. club — for golf
  16. mug — a cup
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rule — a law
  19. mark — a grade
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. clip — a video
  24. mark — a trace

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