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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. court — of law
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. present — the time now
  5. can — a tin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. can — a tin
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. snap — to click
  15. pop — soda
  16. perch — the fish
  17. present — there
  18. court — of a king
  19. present — a gift
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. perch — for a bird

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