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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mark — a grade
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. root — of a plant
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. suit — in cards
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mark — a trace

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