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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. bound — certain
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mark — a trace
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bear — the animal
  15. degree — from a university
  16. prune — to trim
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. prune — to trim
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  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