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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. race — humankind
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mate — to breed
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. race — a contest
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cap — a lid
  19. race — the arms race
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mate — a friend
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bank — for money
  24. cap — of ice

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