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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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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: mug · pound · perch · shower · rest · pitch · clip · prune

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. prune — to trim
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pound — a weight
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mug — to rob
  9. clip — a video
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mug — a face
  17. clip — for paper
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mug — a cup
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitch — completely
  23. shower — rain
  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