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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bound — certain
  3. perch — the fish
  4. field — for sport
  5. spell — letters
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. row — a line
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. field — farmland
  11. deal — to handle
  12. spell — magic
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bound — tied together
  15. field — a subject
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bound — obliged
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. row — to paddle
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. spell — a short time

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