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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pit — in a race
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — tied together
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bound — obliged
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bound — certain
  11. ball — a dance
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time

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