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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. sharp — clever
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bound — tied together
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bound — certain
  11. clip — a video
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bound — obliged
  16. clip — for paper
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fork — in a road
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. chip — for betting

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