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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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Word bank
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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: bound · bay · staff · bulb · perch · object · fine · mouse

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. object — a thing
  3. fine — all right
  4. staff — employees
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bound — certain
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. object — to protest
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bulb — for light
  15. object — an aim
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. staff — employees
  24. perch — for a bird

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