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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. suit — clothes
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bound — obliged
  5. track — a song
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bound — certain
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rest — a break
  15. suit — in cards
  16. track — a path
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. suit — to fit
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bound — tied together

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