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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 120 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: mine · hide · perch · track · pound · staff · ball · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. track — a song
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. track — to keep track
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pound — a weight
  14. track — a path
  15. mug — a face
  16. mine — for digging
  17. staff — employees
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. ball — a dance

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