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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — in golf
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. scale — size or range
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stock — goods
  8. firm — steady
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — in music
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. swing — music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. firm — a company
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. firm — decided
  19. rule — a law
  20. swing — to play on
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. rule — government

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