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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. charge — in control
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — a price
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ball — a dance
  14. hand — help
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. perch — the fish
  24. charge — electricity

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