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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. net — in sport
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — for a lock
  8. net — after costs
  9. key — in music
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. key — the most important part
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wound — an injury
  24. swing — music

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