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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rule — government
  5. firm — decided
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bound — tied together
  8. firm — steady
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bound — obliged
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bear — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — a law
  22. firm — a company
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. perch — the fish

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