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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pass — a permit
  5. present — there
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. present — a gift
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. key — in music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mark — a grade
  21. present — the time now
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pound — for dogs

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