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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rule — government
  3. scale — in music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bank — of a river
  16. court — for sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. court — of a king
  20. bank — for money
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bank — for money
  23. court — of law
  24. perch — the fish

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