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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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 — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. march — music
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cap — of ice
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. march — the month
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cap — a lid
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. march — the month
  22. cap — a hat
  23. chair — a leader
  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