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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bound — tied together
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. swing — music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. degree — an amount
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. lie — to recline
  18. degree — temperature
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. swing — in golf
  22. perch — the fish
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bound — certain

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