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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bound — obliged
  4. row — to paddle
  5. drill — army training
  6. perch — the fish
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. row — a line
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. bound — certain
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. swing — music
  15. board — to get on
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. scale — in music
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bound — tied together
  21. board — a committee
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. drill — the tool
  24. scale — size or range

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