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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — certain
  12. last — final
  13. bound — tied together
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. last — to go on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. swing — music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. last — finally
  24. perch — the fish

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