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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. march — the month
  5. swing — to play on
  6. current — electric
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. current — of water
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. swing — in golf
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. swing — music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. march — music
  17. spring — of water
  18. perch — the fish
  19. spring — the season
  20. march — the month
  21. spring — a coil
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. current — happening now

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