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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: tube · can · pass · land · pound · chair · perch · file

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pound — a weight
  3. perch — the fish
  4. land — a country
  5. file — a document
  6. chair — a leader
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. can — a tin
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. land — to come down
  17. pass — a permit
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a line of people
  21. land — ground
  22. tube — a container
  23. file — a tool
  24. tube — the underground

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