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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. suit — to fit
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. can — a tin
  6. swing — in golf
  7. can — to be able to
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. swing — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. swing — to play on
  14. net — after costs
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. game — a match
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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