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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: rock · ball · bound · saw · wound · jam · object · perch

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. saw — the tool
  2. object — an aim
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bound — certain
  9. saw — the tool
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. object — a thing
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rock — music
  23. object — to protest
  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