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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pop — to visit
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pop — soda
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bound — certain
  16. branch — a division
  17. fork — in a road
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pop — music
  23. chip — in a computer
  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