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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: mug · rule · jam · board · rash · perch · stem · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. rule — a law
  5. cap — a hat
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. board — to get on
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mug — to rob
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. rule — government
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stem — to come from
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mug — a face
  19. rash — hasty
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. board — a committee

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