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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — tied together
  3. perch — the fish
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. last — to go on
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cap — a lid
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bound — certain
  16. deal — to handle
  17. field — for sport
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. field — a subject
  20. cap — of ice
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bound — obliged
  23. field — farmland
  24. mouse — for a computer

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