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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rock — music
  6. pit — in a race
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pit — a hole
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. date — the fruit
  24. wave — of the sea

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