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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitch — completely
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — to come down
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. land — ground
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bear — the animal
  20. land — a country
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitch — a sports field

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