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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · pound · bowl · wake · perch · rule · can · roll

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rule — government
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. perch — the fish
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — a weight
  13. roll — a cake
  14. can — a tin
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rule — a law
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wake — a trail

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