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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bound — obliged
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. pop — music
  10. cue — for pool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bound — certain
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pop — soda
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ruler — for measuring

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