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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.

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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. perch — the fish
  3. club — for golf
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — a division
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. shower — rain
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. plane — a tool
  19. club — for dancing
  20. chip — to eat
  21. shower — to wash
  22. club — a group
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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