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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. suit — to fit
  10. land — ground
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cue — for pool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. perch — the fish
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pound — a weight
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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