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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lie — to recline
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — a match
  16. fork — in a road
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — after costs
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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