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

Word bank: bound · nail · arm · pit · bay · content · field · perch

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pit — in a race
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. field — a subject
  8. bound — obliged
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. content — happy
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bound — tied together
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. field — farmland
  18. content — the amount
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. field — for sport
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pit — a hole

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