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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 · cell · court · perch · cold · rock · net · suit

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. net — for catching
  4. rock — a stone
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cell — in biology
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rule — a law
  11. rock — music
  12. net — after costs
  13. court — for sport
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. court — of a king
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rule — government
  19. court — of law
  20. suit — in cards
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. net — in sport

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