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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 120 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. perch — the fish
  11. file — a document
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. file — a tool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bound — certain
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. squash — the sport

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