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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · bowl · rest · cue · perch · deal

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cue — a hint
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rest — a break
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rule — government
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rule — a law
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rest — what's left
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal

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