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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. squash — to crush
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. object — a thing
  8. rock — music
  9. bound — obliged
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rock — a stone
  12. row — to paddle
  13. board — a committee
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. branch — a division
  18. row — a line
  19. object — to protest
  20. bound — tied together
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bound — certain

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