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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. chair — a leader
  4. suit — to fit
  5. net — in sport
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. net — after costs
  11. perch — the fish
  12. suit — clothes
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mouse — 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