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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lean — to bend
  3. field — a subject
  4. bound — certain
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bound — obliged
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. field — for sport
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bank — for money
  14. court — of law
  15. lean — thin
  16. bank — for money
  17. field — farmland
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bound — tied together

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