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

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bass — the fish
  3. staff — employees
  4. net — for catching
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. net — after costs
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bass — low music
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bore — to drill
  16. staff — employees
  17. net — in sport
  18. staff — a stick

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