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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: can · bay · stick · kid · straw · squash · pound · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. can — a tin
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. squash — to crush
  7. kid — child
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pound — a weight
  10. kid — to tease
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. can — a tin
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. squash — the vegetable

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