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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. hand — in cards
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — government
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. charge — electricity
  13. hand — help
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. charge — in control
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rule — a law
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. charge — a price
  23. hand — part of the body
  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