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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bound — certain
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bound — tied together
  5. row — to paddle
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ground — a position
  14. suit — in cards
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. perch — the fish
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. game — wild animals
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. suit — clothes
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. game — a match

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