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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bound — tied together
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. board — to get on
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. drill — a practice
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. drill — army training
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. calf — a young animal

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