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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. perch — the fish
  5. court — of law
  6. pitch — completely
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. court — for sport
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bound — obliged
  18. can — a tin
  19. chip — to eat
  20. court — of a king
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bound — certain

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