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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. game — wild animals
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. game — a match
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bound — certain
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pound — a weight
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bound — tied together
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chest — of your body
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. chest — a box
  24. squash — the sport

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