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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. charge — a price
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rule — government
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. charge — in control
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mate — to breed
  14. season — in sport
  15. deal — to handle
  16. charge — electricity
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. cue — for pool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rule — a law
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. deal — a big deal

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