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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: rule · mouse · bowl · perch · race · club · fall · present

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. race — humankind
  5. rule — a law
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fall — the season
  8. race — a contest
  9. present — there
  10. club — for golf
  11. present — a gift
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. club — a group
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. present — the time now
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mouse — the animal
  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