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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. field — for sport
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pound — a weight
  11. press — newspapers
  12. content — happy
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. press — a publisher
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. press — to push
  19. dip — to sink
  20. content — the amount
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pound — to hit hard

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