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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — for catching
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. season — of the year
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. net — after costs
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rule — government
  15. band — a music group
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rule — a law
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. band — a ring
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. net — in sport
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. perch — for a bird

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