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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: mate · snap · jam · perch · pitch · fine · bore · pound

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mate — a partner
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bore — to drill
  13. snap — to click
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mate — to breed
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pound — a weight

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