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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. squash — the sport
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. date — the fruit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rest — a break
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. field — a subject
  13. perch — the fish
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. squash — to crush
  18. suit — in cards
  19. field — farmland
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rest — what's left
  22. field — for sport
  23. suit — to fit
  24. perch — for a bird

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