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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: nail · content · perch · spell · ground · suit · bound · chest

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. suit — to fit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ground — a position
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. spell — magic
  10. chest — a box
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. content — happy
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. content — the amount
  16. spell — letters
  17. chest — of your body
  18. spell — a short time
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bound — certain
  21. suit — clothes
  22. perch — the fish
  23. suit — in cards
  24. ground — crushed

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