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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. court — of law
  3. rule — a law
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. court — for sport
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. court — of a king
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rule — government
  12. current — of water
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bat — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. current — happening now
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. current — electric

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