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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bound — certain
  8. rule — government
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rule — a law
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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