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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. date — the fruit
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kick — in football
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — after costs
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mug — to rob
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mug — a face
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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