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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. capital — a city
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. scale — in music
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. capital — money
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rash — a series
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rash — hasty

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