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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: staff · pound · kick · perch · bowl · object · cap · wind

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wind — moving air
  3. kick — in football
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. object — a thing
  6. pound — a weight
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. object — an aim
  11. staff — employees
  12. object — to protest
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cap — a hat
  19. staff — employees
  20. cap — a lid
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bowl — to roll

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