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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: rule · safe · pass · pitcher · spring · pop · land · perch

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rule — government
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. rule — a law
  13. pop — music
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — the fish
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spring — the season
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pop — soda
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. land — to come down

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