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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spring — of water
  5. bound — tied together
  6. firm — steady
  7. bound — obliged
  8. content — the amount
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. scale — in music
  11. deal — to handle
  12. firm — decided
  13. content — happy
  14. scale — size or range
  15. spring — a coil
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. firm — a company
  18. spring — the season
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bound — certain
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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