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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. net — for catching
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bat — the animal
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. perch — the fish
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mug — a cup
  11. staff — employees
  12. net — after costs
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. net — in sport
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. spring — a coil
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mug — to rob
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mug — a face
  24. ball — a great time

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