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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: spell · wake · pound · perch · snap · dip · pitch · bank

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pitch — completely
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bank — for money
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pound — a weight
  9. snap — to click
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bank — of a river
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. perch — the fish
  22. spell — letters
  23. wake — a trail
  24. spell — magic

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