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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bound — obliged
  3. snap — to click
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. court — for sport
  6. bound — tied together
  7. root — of a word
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. court — of law
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. craft — boats
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. court — of a king
  17. rock — music
  18. root — the cause
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pass — a permit
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bound — certain
  24. rock — a stone

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