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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rule — government
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. current — happening now
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. current — of water
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. hand — help
  23. current — electric
  24. arm — part of the body

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