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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rule — government
  3. field — for sport
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rule — a law
  7. field — a subject
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. perch — the fish
  10. snap — to click
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ball — a dance
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cue — a hint
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cue — a signal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cue — for pool
  24. field — farmland

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