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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: deal · bound · clip · perch · cap · pound · ruler · mouse

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cap — of ice
  7. clip — a video
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pound — a weight
  12. perch — the fish
  13. clip — for paper
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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