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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. track — a path
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pound — a weight
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bank — for money
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wound — an injury
  21. dip — to sink
  22. perch — the fish
  23. dip — to dunk
  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