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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. land — to come down
  5. stock — goods
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. land — a country
  13. rule — a law
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rule — government
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stock — shares
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. land — ground
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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