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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. board — to get on
  10. staff — employees
  11. board — a committee
  12. bound — tied together
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. land — ground
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mate — a partner
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. staff — employees
  24. bay — a horse colour

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