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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. perch — the fish
  3. net — in sport
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mate — a friend
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rest — a break
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — after costs
  12. suit — to fit
  13. net — for catching
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rest — what's left
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. suit — clothes

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