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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. root — of a word
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — a price
  6. sharp — clever
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. root — the cause
  10. charge — in control
  11. content — the amount
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — newspapers
  14. charge — electricity
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bound — obliged
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bat — the animal
  19. press — to push
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. content — happy
  23. press — a publisher
  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