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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. perch — the fish
  6. hand — in cards
  7. drill — army training
  8. rule — a law
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hand — help
  16. mark — a trace
  17. key — for a lock
  18. drill — a practice
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. drill — the tool

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