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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. perch — the fish
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pop — soda
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rule — a law
  20. pop — music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rule — government
  24. leaves — to go away

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