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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — certain
  3. charge — in control
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. capital — a city
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. charge — a price
  12. bound — tied together
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. charge — electricity
  17. capital — money
  18. swing — music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. fork — in a road
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. swing — to play on

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