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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 116 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 · pit · mate · bay · pound · ground · perch · staff

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ground — a position
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. staff — employees
  8. mate — to breed
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mate — a partner
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pound — a weight
  15. ground — the earth
  16. can — a tin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. staff — employees
  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