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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · bowl · bass · court · rule · present · lean · game

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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 — a law
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. present — a gift
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bass — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rule — government
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. court — for sport
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bass — low music
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. game — a match
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. perch — the fish
  18. present — there
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. present — the time now
  23. lean — thin
  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