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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mug — a face
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rule — a law
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rule — government
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cue — a hint
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. chair — a leader

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