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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rash — a series
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ground — the earth
  10. branch — a division
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rash — hasty
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ground — a position
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. ground — crushed
  24. perch — for a bird

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