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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: hide · rock · shower · fork · pound · track · perch · can

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rock — music
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. can — a tin
  11. shower — rain
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. track — to keep track
  15. can — a tin
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. track — a song
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rock — a stone
  22. track — a path
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fork — a garden tool

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