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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. perch — the fish
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rule — a law
  9. can — a tin
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rule — government
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. can — a tin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mark — a trace
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. march — the month
  20. ball — a great time
  21. march — music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. march — the month
  24. ball — a round shape

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