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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · fall · deal · bulb · rule · bark · ball · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — a law
  7. fall — the season
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rule — government
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — a series
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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