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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. object — to protest
  4. fine — high quality
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fine — all right
  12. branch — a division
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pound — a weight
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rock — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. pitcher — a jug

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