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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 116 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 · cell · mouse · pitch · shower · mug · rule · kick

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. shower — to wash
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cell — a phone
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mug — a face
  15. rule — government
  16. cell — in biology
  17. kick — in football
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pitch — completely
  22. shower — rain
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rule — a law

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