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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: bat · stick · deal · rule · dip · suit · toast · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bat — the animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rule — government
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — a partner
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rule — a law
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. dip — to sink
  19. toast — bread
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mate — to breed

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