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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: land · pound · object · lean · net · perch · deal · shower

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. object — an aim
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. shower — rain
  8. perch — the fish
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. object — a thing
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pound — a weight
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. deal — to handle
  18. net — after costs
  19. lean — thin
  20. object — to protest
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. shower — to wash
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pound — to hit hard

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