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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wound — an injury
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bass — low music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. press — newspapers
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wound — an injury
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. press — to push
  18. bass — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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