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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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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: land · toast · key · charge · perch · pound · degree · foot

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. land — ground
  3. pound — a weight
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. degree — temperature
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. land — to come down
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. charge — in control
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. degree — an amount
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. charge — a price
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. degree — from a university
  21. land — a country
  22. key — for a lock
  23. perch — the fish
  24. charge — electricity

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