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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stock — shares
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. key — in music
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stock — goods
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ball — a dance
  22. key — for a lock
  23. perch — the fish
  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