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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. perch — the fish
  3. can — a tin
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. can — to be able to
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pound — a weight
  8. stock — shares
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. stock — goods
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. board — to get on
  22. can — a tin
  23. foot — a measure
  24. board — a committee

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