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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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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 · stick · pass · chip · season · perch · bat · pitcher

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. season — of the year
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rule — a law
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — in sport
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. perch — for a bird

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