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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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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: fall · bowl · perch · charge · band · kid · pound · bay

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fall — the season
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. kid — child
  10. band — a music group
  11. charge — a price
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. charge — in control
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. band — a ring
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. charge — electricity
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fall — to drop

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