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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: fall · chip · prune · suit · perch · pound · bound · shower

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fall — the season
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. shower — rain
  12. suit — clothes
  13. chip — to eat
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — in cards
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chip — for betting
  19. shower — to wash
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bound — certain
  24. fall — to drop

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