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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. perch — the fish
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cue — a hint
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cue — a signal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. track — a path
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. squash — the sport
  17. track — a song
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fine — all right
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cue — for pool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. sharp — with an edge

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