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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. charge — in control
  3. pound — a weight
  4. net — in sport
  5. perch — the fish
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. charge — a price
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spell — magic
  18. patient — a sick person

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