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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — a hole
  3. saw — the tool
  4. content — the amount
  5. chest — of your body
  6. suit — clothes
  7. content — happy
  8. suit — to fit
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pit — in a race
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chest — of your body
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. chest — a box
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. suit — in cards
  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