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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spring — of water
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bore — to tire
  7. capital — a city
  8. rush — hurry
  9. spring — the season
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rule — a law
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fine — all right
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — high quality
  17. firm — a company
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. spring — a coil
  23. capital — money
  24. bore — gave birth

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