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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mug — a face
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. ball — a dance
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. board — to get on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bound — certain
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bound — obliged
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mug — to rob
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. ball — a great time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bound — tied together
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. game — a match

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