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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. net — for catching
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. craft — boats
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bound — certain
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. fork — in a road
  23. toast — bread
  24. wave — of the sea

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