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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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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. can — a tin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. net — for catching
  7. perch — the fish
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bark — to shout
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. net — in sport
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. can — to be able to

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