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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rock — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bound — tied together
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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