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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. pop — soda
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. object — a thing
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. court — of a king
  8. pop — to visit
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. perch — the fish
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. bound — tied together
  15. object — an aim
  16. bound — certain
  17. object — to protest
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pop — music
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. last — to go on
  24. court — for sport

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