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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: pitcher · cabinet · tube · pound · fan · perch · deal · kid

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tube — the underground
  4. kid — child
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. deal — to handle
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. tube — a container
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — the fish
  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