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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stand — to bear
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — in music
  8. court — for sport
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. court — of a king
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. court — of law
  17. band — a music group
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. key — the most important part
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. band — a ring
  23. cell — a phone
  24. leaves — to go away

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