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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bound — tied together
  3. swing — to play on
  4. drill — army training
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitch — completely
  8. drill — a practice
  9. swing — music
  10. object — a thing
  11. bound — certain
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. kid — to tease
  14. perch — the fish
  15. drill — the tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bound — obliged
  19. scale — in music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. object — to protest
  22. scale — size or range
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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