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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 116 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: pound · track · fall · racket · pop · object · perch · file

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — to protest
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. object — an aim
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. track — a song
  14. pound — a weight
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — to visit
  17. object — a thing
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. track — a path
  21. perch — the fish
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. file — a document

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