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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. net — in sport
  3. perch — the fish
  4. game — a match
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bank — for money
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. net — after costs
  9. bore — to tire
  10. file — a tool
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bank — of a river
  14. net — for catching
  15. bank — for money
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bore — to drill
  18. file — a document
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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