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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. perch — the fish
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rule — government
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bank — for money
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. clip — a video
  23. track — a song
  24. rule — a law

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