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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bound — certain
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mug — to rob
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mug — a face
  9. chair — a leader
  10. perch — the fish
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wake — a trail
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. saw — the tool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mug — a cup
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bound — tied together

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