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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. chip — to eat
  3. present — there
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. present — a gift
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hand — help
  14. present — the time now
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. perch — the fish
  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