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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. staff — employees
  3. object — a thing
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — certain
  6. object — to protest
  7. staff — employees
  8. degree — temperature
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bound — tied together
  11. staff — a stick
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. object — an aim
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mark — a grade
  20. degree — an amount
  21. roll — a list
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. roll — a cake

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