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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: jam · date · sharp · bound · pitcher · can · pop · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bound — obliged
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. perch — the fish
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pop — music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — a tin
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. date — the fruit
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bound — certain
  24. can — a tin

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