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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: tear · cue · bound · spring · jam · perch · firm · bat

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. spring — of water
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. cue — a signal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. spring — a coil
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. firm — decided
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bat — the animal
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. spring — the season
  17. bound — certain
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. tear — from crying
  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