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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rest — a break
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rule — a law
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. board — a committee
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. dip — to sink
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — a trainer

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