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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. bound — certain
  2. capital — money
  3. bound — obliged
  4. track — a song
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. object — a thing
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. shower — rain
  10. pound — a weight
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. object — an aim
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. track — a path
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. object — to protest
  19. capital — a city
  20. perch — the fish
  21. shower — to wash
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pound — for dogs
  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