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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 116 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: stick · content · mark · can · pound · squash · lie · perch

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. content — the amount
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. squash — to crush
  7. can — a tin
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. can — to be able to
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mark — a grade
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — to recline
  23. can — a tin
  24. perch — for a bird

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