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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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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: hand · foot · root · bound · board · perch · bat · can

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. foot — a measure
  4. can — a tin
  5. bound — certain
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. can — a tin
  10. board — to get on
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. root — the cause
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bound — tied together
  18. hand — help
  19. board — a committee
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bound — obliged
  24. root — of a word

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