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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: court · pound · perch · chair · can · toast · rest · calf

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pound — a weight
  6. toast — bread
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. court — of law
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. court — for sport
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rest — what's left
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. court — of a king
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pound — for dogs

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