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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bark — to shout
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rash — hasty
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stand — to bear
  17. dip — to sink
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — a series
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mark — a grade

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