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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: pound · deal · jam · mine · foot · perch · straw · sharp

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. perch — the fish
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pound — a weight
  7. sharp — clever
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. foot — a measure
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. foot — part of the body

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