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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pound — a weight
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rest — a break
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rest — what's left
  19. drill — army training
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bear — the animal

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