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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rash — a series
  3. net — in sport
  4. rash — hasty
  5. net — after costs
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. net — for catching
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ball — a dance
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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