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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. last — final
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. perch — the fish
  12. last — finally
  13. bank — for money
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bank — for money
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. last — to go on
  19. fork — in a road
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bound — certain

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