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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pop — music
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. craft — a skill
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — to come from
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pound — a weight
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. craft — boats
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bound — certain
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bound — obliged
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pop — soda
  23. perch — the fish
  24. racket — a loud noise

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