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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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 — the fish
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mine — for digging
  4. object — a thing
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rule — a law
  7. pop — soda
  8. object — to protest
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. object — an aim
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  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