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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. shower — rain
  5. pitch — completely
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. shower — to wash
  13. net — for catching
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rock — a stone
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. perch — the fish
  22. scale — in music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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