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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. staff — a stick
  3. perch — the fish
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bound — certain
  8. spell — letters
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. staff — employees
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pitch — completely
  19. spell — magic
  20. saw — the tool
  21. staff — employees
  22. bound — obliged
  23. date — the fruit
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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