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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fine — high quality
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. can — a tin
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bound — tied together
  11. tube — a container
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. perch — the fish
  14. object — a thing
  15. tube — the underground
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. object — an aim
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fine — all right
  23. object — to protest
  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