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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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Word bank
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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: bear · perch · saw · pound · pitcher · cabinet · fan · stick

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bear — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pound — a weight

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