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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. capital — a city
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. capital — money
  14. hand — help
  15. net — for catching
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hand — in cards
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mark — a grade

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