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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. game — wild animals
  7. suit — in cards
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mate — a partner
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. game — a match
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. suit — clothes
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wind — moving air
  20. suit — to fit
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wind — to turn a key

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