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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. net — in sport
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fine — high quality
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — for catching
  8. march — the month
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. march — music
  14. net — after costs
  15. bound — certain
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bound — tied together
  22. march — the month
  23. fine — all right
  24. bound — obliged

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