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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rule — a law
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rule — government
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mate — a partner
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chip — to eat
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chip — for betting
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. craft — boats
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. chip — in a computer

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