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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bound — certain
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. face — to confront
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. bound — tied together
  14. court — for sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bat — the animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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