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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. suit — to fit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. suit — clothes
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. land — a country
  11. content — the amount
  12. scale — in music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. land — ground
  15. pound — a weight
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — to come down
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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