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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: content · tube · pound · jam · plane · stick · perch · wake

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wake — a trail
  18. content — the amount
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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