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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: cabinet · straw · bowl · cap · land · rule · foot · perch

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rule — a law
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. perch — the fish
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. land — a country
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rule — government
  24. bowl — a football final

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