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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. net — after costs
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. club — for golf
  5. cue — for pool
  6. track — a path
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bass — low music
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bass — the fish
  13. club — a group
  14. net — for catching
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. net — in sport
  18. track — a song
  19. lean — thin
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pound — a weight

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