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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pop — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rash — a series
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spell — letters
  10. pop — to visit
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pop — soda
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mug — a face
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spell — magic
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rule — a law
  23. rash — hasty
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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