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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. object — a thing
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — a law
  7. object — to protest
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. deal — to handle

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