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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: perch · wound · bowl · wave · spring · pitch · rock · pound

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pound — a weight
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rock — music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spring — of water
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. spring — the season
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rock — to move gently

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