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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. perch — the fish
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — of the year
  7. firm — a company
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. firm — steady
  12. bore — to tire
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. season — in sport
  19. firm — decided
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bore — to drill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. deal — an agreement

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