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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bat — the animal
  6. cue — a signal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cue — for pool
  10. charge — in control
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bound — certain
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. charge — a price
  20. suit — in cards
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wound — an injury

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