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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. hand — in cards
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — low music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mark — a grade
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bound — certain
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. perch — the fish
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — the fish
  21. hand — help
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bass — the instrument

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