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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rule — a law
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pit — in a race
  6. spring — the season
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. spring — of water
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rule — government
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spring — a coil
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. game — a match

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