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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 · land · pass · mouse · foot · perch · cabinet · ground

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rule — government
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rule — a law
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ground — crushed
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. ground — a position
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. foot — the bottom

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