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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pound — a weight
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. foot — a measure
  13. band — a music group
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. date — the fruit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. pound — for dogs

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