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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 116 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — a stick
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. can — a tin
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bear — the animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. can — a tin
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. staff — employees
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. staff — employees

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