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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. board — a committee
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. season — of the year
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. tube — the underground
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. season — in sport
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. board — to get on
  20. tube — a container
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. clip — to cut
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. perch — the fish

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