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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. object — to protest
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. track — to keep track
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bound — certain
  17. perch — the fish
  18. chair — a leader
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. charge — a price
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. object — a thing

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