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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — in sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. club — for golf
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. club — for dancing
  11. net — for catching
  12. tube — the underground
  13. net — after costs
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. perch — the fish
  16. tube — a container
  17. foot — a measure
  18. club — a group

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