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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.

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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. bound — obliged
  2. court — of a king
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. perch — the fish
  5. court — of law
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cell — a phone
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bound — certain
  19. court — for sport
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cell — in biology
  23. fork — to eat with
  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