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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 120 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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. chair — a leader
  4. perch — the fish
  5. net — for catching
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. present — there
  12. net — after costs
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. net — in sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — the time now
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. present — a gift
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. chair — a professorship

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