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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: rule · court · tear · shower · pound · object · deal · safe

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. deal — to handle
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. object — to protest
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. shower — rain
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. tear — to rip
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tear — from crying
  19. court — for sport
  20. rule — a law
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. tear — from crying

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