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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rule — government
  7. field — a subject
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. can — a tin
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bore — to drill
  18. root — the cause
  19. mark — a grade
  20. field — for sport
  21. root — of a plant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — of a word
  24. field — farmland

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