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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — ground
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. perch — the fish
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. land — a country
  10. saw — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bound — certain
  14. can — a tin
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. ground — a position
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bound — obliged
  24. land — to come down

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