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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: suit · swing · pound · perch · bound · mouse · bat · mug

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bound — certain
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bat — the animal
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mug — a face
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bat — for baseball

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