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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. perch — the fish
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. track — a path
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. track — to keep track
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rule — a law
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — clever
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rule — government
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. track — a song
  24. perch — for a bird

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