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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 · dip · pop · foot · mug · tube · land · wax

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. land — to come down
  6. pop — to visit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. dip — to sink
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pop — music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. foot — a measure
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. land — ground
  20. pop — soda
  21. tube — a container
  22. perch — the fish
  23. land — a country
  24. wax — to grow

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