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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. field — a subject
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bound — certain
  5. content — the amount
  6. bound — tied together
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. dip — to sink
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. scale — in music
  14. bound — obliged
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. field — farmland
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. scale — size or range
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. field — for sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. content — happy
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. safe — out of danger

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