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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bound — tied together
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pop — soda
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. suit — to fit
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bound — obliged
  14. suit — in cards
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. race — a contest
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pop — music
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bulb — for light
  21. race — humankind
  22. bound — certain
  23. bulb — for light
  24. suit — clothes

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