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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — tied together
  3. ground — a position
  4. bound — obliged
  5. season — of the year
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pop — to visit
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pop — music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. season — in sport
  20. bound — certain
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pop — soda
  24. ground — the earth

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