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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pop — music
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — soda
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. present — a gift
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bass — low music
  16. present — there
  17. bound — certain
  18. present — the time now
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pop — to visit
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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