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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: wind · ball · stick · charge · perch · row · lean · pound

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. ball — a great time
  3. perch — the fish
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lean — thin
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. charge — a price
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. charge — in control
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. lean — to bend
  22. row — a line
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wind — moving air

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