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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. drill — army training
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. drill — a practice
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. content — happy
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. drill — the tool
  16. content — the amount
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bound — certain
  19. field — a subject
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rock — music
  24. perch — the fish

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