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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — a company
  3. court — of a king
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bear — the animal
  6. firm — decided
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wound — an injury
  12. court — for sport
  13. bound — certain
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. perch — the fish
  16. court — of law
  17. bear — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bound — obliged
  20. firm — steady
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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