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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. branch — a division
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pitch — completely
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. perch — the fish

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