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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. perch — the fish
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. field — farmland
  7. ball — a dance
  8. field — for sport
  9. capital — a city
  10. pass — a permit
  11. field — a subject
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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