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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. prune — to trim
  3. perch — the fish
  4. charge — a price
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rule — a law
  7. shower — rain
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. shower — to wash
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chair — a leader
  21. charge — in control
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rule — government
  24. prune — to trim

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