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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bound — tied together
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. board — to get on
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. field — for sport
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. field — a subject
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. perch — the fish
  15. field — farmland
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rock — music
  18. bound — certain
  19. date — the fruit
  20. land — a country
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. board — a committee
  24. bound — obliged

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