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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pop — to visit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pop — soda
  6. staff — employees
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — happy
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rule — government
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — the amount
  13. rule — a law
  14. pop — music
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. perch — the fish
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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