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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: pound · march · perch · foot · pop · wave · fan · arm

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. perch — the fish
  4. foot — a measure
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pop — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pop — soda
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. march — the month
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. foot — the bottom

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