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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. net — after costs
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — for catching
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ball — a dance
  10. object — to protest
  11. fine — high quality
  12. object — a thing
  13. shower — rain
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. ball — a great time
  17. object — an aim
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fine — all right
  21. net — in sport
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ball — a round shape

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