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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chip — to eat
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pound — a weight
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chip — for betting
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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