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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. present — a gift
  2. kid — child
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. bound — obliged
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. season — in sport
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bound — certain
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kid — to tease
  23. season — of the year
  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