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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: rest · cap · deal · charge · rush · rule · object · jam

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. rush — hurry
  4. object — to protest
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. object — a thing
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cap — a lid
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rest — a break
  14. cap — of ice
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. object — an aim
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cap — a hat
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rule — government

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