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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. roll — a cake
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pound — a weight
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. roll — a list
  14. perch — the fish
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pound — for dogs

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