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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bass — low music
  4. court — of law
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fall — the season
  7. bound — certain
  8. craft — boats
  9. board — a committee
  10. bass — the fish
  11. craft — a skill
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fall — to drop
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. content — happy
  20. board — to get on
  21. fall — to drop
  22. perch — the fish
  23. content — the amount
  24. bound — obliged

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