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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. net — after costs
  3. sharp — clever
  4. land — a country
  5. net — for catching
  6. club — a group
  7. ball — a great time
  8. club — for dancing
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. land — ground
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. net — in sport
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. club — for golf

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