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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — electricity
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bound — obliged
  7. charge — in control
  8. stock — shares
  9. shower — rain
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stock — goods
  14. bound — certain
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. charge — a price
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bound — tied together

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