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

Word bank: wind · cue · pass · chair · rule · mouse · bark · perch

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rule — government
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wind — moving air
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rule — a law
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pass — a permit
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — of a tree

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