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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pop — music
  4. rule — a law
  5. suit — to fit
  6. kid — child
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pop — to visit
  9. perch — the fish
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — in cards
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — soda
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. rule — government

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