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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. net — in sport
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ball — a dance
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. net — for catching
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. ball — a great time
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pound — a weight
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bat — the animal
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. straw — a straw man

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