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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rule — a law
  7. rash — a series
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. current — happening now
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rash — hasty
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. last — finally
  16. current — electric
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. last — to go on
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. perch — the fish
  23. last — final
  24. current — of water

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