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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bound — certain
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bound — tied together
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lie — to recline
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pitch — completely
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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