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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 124 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bound — obliged
  3. firm — decided
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fork — in a road
  12. can — a tin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. can — a tin
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wound — an injury
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. firm — steady
  20. perch — the fish
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fork — a garden tool

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