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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bound — tied together
  6. present — there
  7. kick — in football
  8. present — the time now
  9. march — the month
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. staff — employees
  13. hand — help
  14. perch — the fish
  15. present — a gift
  16. bound — obliged
  17. march — the month
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. staff — employees
  20. march — music
  21. bound — certain
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ball — a dance
  24. kick — with a leg

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