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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: rock · key · bulb · perch · patient · dip · pound · lean

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. key — for a lock
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lean — thin
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bulb — for light
  24. perch — the fish

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