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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bound — certain
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bound — obliged
  8. staff — employees
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mate — a friend
  14. court — for sport
  15. mate — to breed
  16. court — of law
  17. chip — for betting
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. pit — a hole
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. chip — to eat
  24. court — of a king

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