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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. perch — the fish
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rule — a law
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. rest — what's left
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rule — government
  17. rest — a break
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — of water
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. date — the fruit

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