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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: pop · bay · perch · saw · rule · track · rock · toast

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rule — government
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pop — soda
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rule — a law
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pop — music
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rock — a stone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. track — a song
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. toast — bread
  23. track — a path
  24. saw — the tool

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