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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. row — to paddle
  4. clip — a video
  5. pound — a weight
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rock — a stone
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rock — music
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. row — a line
  24. clip — to cut

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