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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pop — music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. perch — the fish
  18. net — in sport
  19. bat — the animal
  20. net — for catching
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pop — soda
  24. lash — an eyelash

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