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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. court — of a king
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. tube — a container
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rule — a law
  12. track — to keep track
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. track — a path
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — of law
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rule — government
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. court — for sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — a song

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