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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rash — a series
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. perch — the fish
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rash — hasty
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fork — in a road
  20. tear — from crying
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. perch — for a bird

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