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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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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: trunk · roll · board · pound · fine · perch · cold · jam

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cold — not warm
  3. board — a committee
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fine — high quality
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. perch — the fish
  12. roll — a list
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cold — an illness
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. roll — a cake

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