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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — soda
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. suit — clothes
  10. board — to get on
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bound — certain
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. board — a committee
  16. bound — tied together
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — to visit

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