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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 · date · cap · pitcher · deal · rash · rule · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rule — government
  5. deal — to handle
  6. kid — child
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rule — a law
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rash — a series
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rash — on the skin

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