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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. club — a group
  7. net — in sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ball — a great time
  12. perch — the fish
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. row — a line
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. net — after costs
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bat — the animal
  24. net — for catching

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