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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. hand — in cards
  3. staff — employees
  4. mark — a grade
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. club — for golf
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. club — a group
  12. hand — help
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. tube — a container
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rule — government
  18. staff — employees
  19. mark — a trace
  20. tube — the underground
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. staff — a stick
  24. club — for dancing

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