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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. drill — army training
  4. perch — the fish
  5. fork — in a road
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cell — a phone
  8. track — a path
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bound — certain
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. track — a song
  24. bass — low music

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