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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. club — for golf
  5. snap — to click
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. game — wild animals
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. game — a match
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. club — a group
  16. rule — a law
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. game — a kind of play

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