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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. net — after costs
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. net — in sport
  6. row — a line
  7. fork — in a road
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mug — a cup
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pop — music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. roll — a list
  19. mug — a face
  20. net — for catching
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. fork — to eat with

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