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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: roll · perch · bound · stick · chair · clip · object · toast

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. roll — a list
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. object — a thing
  6. toast — bread
  7. clip — a video
  8. bound — tied together
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. perch — the fish
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. object — to protest
  15. bound — obliged
  16. object — an aim
  17. bound — certain
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chair — a leader
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. clip — to cut

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