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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. can — a tin
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wind — moving air
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bound — certain
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — to be able to
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. can — a tin
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bound — obliged
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. row — a line
  24. racket — a loud noise

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