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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lean — thin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. drill — a practice
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rest — a break
  12. drill — army training
  13. pound — a weight
  14. band — a music group
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a ring
  18. perch — the fish
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. chip — to eat

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