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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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468
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rule — government
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rest — a break
  13. track — a path
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. track — a song
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. stock — goods
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stock — shares
  23. kick — in football
  24. cue — a hint

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