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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. perch — the fish
  23. season — of the year
  24. bark — of a tree

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