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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pound — a weight
  3. race — a contest
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. race — humankind
  8. mine — for digging
  9. race — the arms race
  10. content — the amount
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. content — happy
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. can — a tin
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. content — videos and posts

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