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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bound — obliged
  4. content — the amount
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bass — low music
  7. bound — certain
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bass — the fish
  13. roll — a list
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — a grade
  19. roll — a cake
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mark — a trace
  24. content — happy

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