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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · perch · pound · kick · track · cabinet · saw · pop

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. track — a song
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pop — soda
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pop — to visit
  8. kick — in football
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. saw — the tool
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. perch — the fish
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pop — music
  20. pound — a weight
  21. track — a path
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cabinet — ministers

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