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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rule — a law
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bark — to shout
  12. chip — for betting
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. chip — to eat
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rule — government
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fine — all right
  21. perch — the fish
  22. staff — employees
  23. cue — for pool
  24. staff — employees

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