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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: pound · bat · mug · kick · perch · swing · wake · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mug — to rob
  5. suit — to fit
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mug — a face
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. suit — in cards
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. kick — in football
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. swing — in golf

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