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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: bound · spell · craft · content · firm · mine · bat · perch

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bound — obliged
  3. spell — letters
  4. bound — tied together
  5. spell — magic
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bound — certain
  14. craft — a skill
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. craft — boats
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. bat — the animal

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