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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · key · pop · perch · dip · pound · net · face

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. pop — music
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. net — after costs
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. face — to confront
  10. pop — to visit
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wake — a trail
  13. face — to point toward
  14. key — in music
  15. net — in sport
  16. pop — soda
  17. perch — the fish
  18. face — part of the head
  19. key — the most important part
  20. dip — to sink
  21. net — for catching
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. key — for a lock
  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