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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rule — government
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rule — a law
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rush — hurry
  9. court — of law
  10. perch — the fish
  11. court — for sport
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pit — in a race
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hand — help
  17. rest — what's left
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pit — a hole
  20. court — of a king
  21. rest — a break
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rush — a thrill

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