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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bound — tied together
  5. scale — in music
  6. perch — the fish
  7. spring — of water
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fine — all right
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bound — obliged
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. spring — the season
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. degree — temperature
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. degree — from a university
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fine — high quality
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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