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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. perch — the fish
  7. season — of the year
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. game — wild animals
  12. ball — a great time
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rash — a series
  17. season — in sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. game — a match
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ball — a round shape

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