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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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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. suit — to fit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pound — a weight
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rule — government
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stock — shares
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rule — a law
  20. stock — goods
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rule — to rule out

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