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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ground — a position
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cue — a signal
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bound — tied together
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. cue — for pool
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cue — a hint
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. object — an aim
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bound — certain
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bound — obliged

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