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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bound — obliged
  5. march — music
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bound — certain
  10. band — a ring
  11. march — the month
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. row — to paddle
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. present — a gift
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. band — a music group
  22. march — the month
  23. perch — the fish
  24. row — a line

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