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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. shower — rain
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. perch — the fish
  13. drill — army training
  14. net — for catching
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. track — a song
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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