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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. board — a committee
  4. bound — tied together
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. bound — obliged
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pop — to visit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pop — soda
  18. ball — a dance
  19. present — the time now
  20. perch — the fish
  21. board — to get on
  22. bound — certain
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pop — music

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