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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fine — high quality
  7. squash — to crush
  8. track — a song
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fine — all right
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — a path
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. tube — a container

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