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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: deal · game · fork · wound · bound · bat · ruler · perch

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. perch — the fish
  13. deal — to handle
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wound — an injury
  22. game — a match
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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