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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mug — to rob
  3. present — a gift
  4. face — part of the head
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pound — a weight
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. present — there
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. present — the time now
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. band — a ring
  24. trunk — of a car

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