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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. key — in music
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. net — after costs
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wake — a trail
  14. net — in sport
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ball — a great time
  21. snap — to click
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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