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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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. bass — low music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bass — the fish
  7. tear — from crying
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pop — soda
  11. cap — a hat
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. rule — government
  15. tear — to rip
  16. fine — all right
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rule — a law
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cap — of ice
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pop — music
  24. fine — high quality

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