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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: kid · fan · deal · rule · mouse · toast · fall · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rule — a law
  3. toast — bread
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rule — government
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. kid — child
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. kid — to tease
  24. deal — to handle

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