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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. court — of law
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. charge — in control
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. bass — low music
  10. rule — a law
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. court — for sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bat — the animal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. court — of a king
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bass — the fish
  24. charge — a price

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