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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. perch — the fish
  4. net — for catching
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rest — a break
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rest — what's left
  19. net — after costs
  20. rule — government
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — in sport
  24. perch — for a bird

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