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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: deal · mate · last · toast · game · rock · rule · pit

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. game — a match
  3. last — final
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mate — to breed
  6. toast — bread
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. last — to go on
  11. rock — music
  12. last — finally
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rule — government
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mate — a partner
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rule — a law
  23. game — wild animals
  24. deal — an agreement

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