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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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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: deal · staff · dip · wake · rule · pitcher · fall · perch

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. deal — to handle
  6. staff — employees
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — a law
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rule — government
  18. staff — a stick
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fall — the season
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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