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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 · perch · ground · object · squash · deal · content · leaves

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ground — crushed
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. object — a thing
  10. deal — to handle
  11. content — happy
  12. object — to protest
  13. ground — a position
  14. content — the amount
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. perch — the fish
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. object — an aim
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bound — obliged

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