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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pop — to visit
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mug — a face
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pop — music
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mug — to rob
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pop — soda

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