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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. object — a thing
  5. band — a ring
  6. court — for sport
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. mark — a trace
  10. object — to protest
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rule — a law
  14. band — a music group
  15. mark — a grade
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. court — of law
  19. can — a tin
  20. object — an aim
  21. court — of a king
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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