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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 · season · suit · roll · perch · pound · net · rest

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rest — a break
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. net — after costs
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. net — for catching
  7. suit — to fit
  8. roll — a list
  9. perch — the fish
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. season — of the year
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. season — in sport
  16. suit — clothes
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. net — in sport
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rest — what's left

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