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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 120 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: tube · bound · ball · saw · staff · row · perch · present

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bound — certain
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. present — there
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bound — tied together
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. present — a gift
  10. saw — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ball — a great time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. perch — the fish
  15. present — the time now
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. staff — employees
  18. ball — a dance
  19. staff — employees
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. row — a line
  23. tube — the underground
  24. row — to paddle

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