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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. rule — government
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ground — the earth
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. firm — a company
  7. ground — a position
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. land — a country
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ground — crushed
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rule — a law
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. land — ground
  19. firm — steady
  20. land — to come down
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. firm — decided
  23. bark — to shout
  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