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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. file — a tool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. court — for sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. court — of law
  10. rule — government
  11. rest — a break
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. court — of a king
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bound — certain
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. file — a document
  22. rule — a law
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rest — what's left

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