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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. board — to get on
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. content — happy
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. track — to keep track
  13. content — the amount
  14. perch — the fish
  15. track — a path
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. face — to confront
  23. track — a song
  24. perch — for a bird

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