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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fine — high quality
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fine — all right
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fork — in a road
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. net — in sport
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rule — a law
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rule — government
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pit — a hole

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