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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · content · leaves · bound · ball · pit · perch · row

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. content — the amount
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bass — low music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bound — tied together
  13. row — a line
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bound — certain
  21. ball — a dance
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — the instrument
  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