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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. perch — the fish
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. march — music
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. dip — to sink
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pound — a weight
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bass — low music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pound — to hit hard

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