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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · pound · kick · perch · bowl · object

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pound — a weight
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. object — a thing
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. staff — employees
  11. kick — in football
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. staff — employees
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. perch — the fish
  17. staff — a stick
  18. perch — for a bird

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