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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: jam · bay · mate · net · mark · perch · lean · rule

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lean — thin
  4. rule — government
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — for catching
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. net — in sport
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lean — to bend
  17. perch — the fish
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rule — a law
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. net — after costs
  24. mate — to breed

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