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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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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 · coach · rest · pit · ruler · perch · row · net

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rest — what's left
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rest — a break
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rest — what's left
  13. net — for catching
  14. row — to paddle
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. row — a line
  24. bound — certain

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