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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 120 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: saw · rule · ball · perch · club · pound · net · bore

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rule — a law
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ball — a dance
  11. club — for dancing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bore — to tire
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ball — a great time
  17. club — for golf
  18. net — in sport
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rule — government
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. club — a group

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