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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stock — shares
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fine — all right
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stock — goods
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. deal — a big deal

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