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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: pit · rock · perch · fork · bound · lean · pop · cell

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cell — a phone
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pop — music
  10. bound — certain
  11. rock — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pop — soda
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fork — in a road

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