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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stock — shares
  14. pound — a weight
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stock — goods
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rule — a law
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pound — to hit hard

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