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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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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: object · sharp · toast · fine · row · perch · court · pound

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. pound — a weight
  4. court — of law
  5. fine — high quality
  6. row — a line
  7. perch — the fish
  8. row — to paddle
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. court — of a king
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fine — all right
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. court — for sport
  20. object — an aim
  21. sharp — clever
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fine — a penalty

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