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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: lean · perch · jam · club · pound · ball · drill · rule

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. drill — a practice
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rule — a law
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lean — to bend
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lean — thin
  12. pound — a weight
  13. club — for golf
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. club — a group
  24. pound — for dogs

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