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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 120 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: pop · lean · perch · court · stock · object · pound · degree

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — goods
  7. pop — soda
  8. court — of a king
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pound — a weight
  14. court — for sport
  15. stock — shares
  16. object — a thing
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pop — music
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. perch — the fish
  22. degree — temperature
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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