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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rule — a law
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bass — low music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rule — government
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. board — a committee
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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