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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: deal · chair · object · pass · rule · fork · wave · bowl

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rule — government
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. object — a thing
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. object — to protest
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rule — a law
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. object — an aim
  24. chair — to sit on

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