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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bark — to shout
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hand — help
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mark — a trace
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bat — the animal
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rule — government
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rule — a law

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