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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. file — a tool
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. file — a document
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bound — tied together
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. charge — in control
  16. perch — the fish
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bound — obliged
  20. file — a line of people
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. charge — a price
  24. ruler — for measuring

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