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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 · stick · cell · toast · perch · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. can — a tin
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. perch — the fish
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cell — in biology
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cell — a phone
  12. toast — bread
  13. rule — a law
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rule — government
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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