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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 120 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: perch · pound · wax · can · mouse · file · wake · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. file — a tool
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pound — a weight
  11. file — a document
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. chip — to eat
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. can — a tin

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