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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 124 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. drill — a practice
  4. field — farmland
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. field — for sport
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. craft — a skill
  9. drill — the tool
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mug — a cup
  12. snap — to click
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. craft — boats
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. drill — army training
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. field — a subject
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. deal — to handle

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