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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. ground — the earth
  4. present — the time now
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bound — certain
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ground — a position
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bound — obliged
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. scale — in music
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bound — tied together

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