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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · bay · perch · arm · ground · key · bound · capital

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. capital — money
  4. bound — certain
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bound — obliged
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. capital — a city
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. ground — a position
  17. key — in music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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