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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bank — for money
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bank — of a river
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rule — government
  16. bank — for money
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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