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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. perch — the fish
  6. field — for sport
  7. object — an aim
  8. field — farmland
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. row — to paddle
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bound — certain
  13. row — a line
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. field — a subject
  18. object — a thing
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. charge — a price
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. charge — in control

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