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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. swing — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. court — of law
  6. chip — for betting
  7. court — for sport
  8. ground — a position
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bound — obliged
  11. swing — to play on
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — the fish
  15. staff — employees
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. ground — the earth
  19. chip — to eat
  20. staff — employees
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ground — crushed
  23. court — of a king
  24. chip — in a computer

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