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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. object — an aim
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. capital — money
  6. object — a thing
  7. rule — government
  8. capital — a city
  9. track — a path
  10. bore — to drill
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bore — to tire
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. object — to protest
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. track — a song
  21. band — a ring
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rule — a law
  24. band — a music group

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