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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. cue — for pool
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. spring — the season
  6. ground — the earth
  7. firm — a company
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rule — a law
  10. bound — certain
  11. cue — a signal
  12. ground — a position
  13. firm — decided
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bark — to shout
  16. spring — of water
  17. cue — a hint
  18. firm — steady
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bound — obliged
  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