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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. object — an aim
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mate — a friend
  11. object — a thing
  12. bank — for money
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bank — for money
  16. mate — a partner
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. perch — the fish
  23. object — to protest
  24. pass — to succeed

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