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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. swing — to play on
  6. craft — boats
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. swing — in golf
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pound — a weight
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. swing — music
  17. craft — a skill
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ground — crushed
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. dip — to sink
  24. temple — a place of worship

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