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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: lean · roll · perch · pop · capital · pass · rule · club

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. club — a group
  5. roll — a cake
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. roll — a list
  8. pop — soda
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pop — music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rule — a law
  14. pop — to visit
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rule — government
  18. capital — a city
  19. club — for golf
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. club — for dancing
  24. capital — money

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