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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. chest — of your body
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pound — a weight
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. board — to get on
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chest — of your body
  13. net — for catching
  14. prune — to trim
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. prune — to trim
  17. net — in sport
  18. chest — a box
  19. net — after costs
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. board — a committee
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. perch — the fish
  24. ruler — for measuring

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