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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. band — a music group
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. perch — the fish

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