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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. net — for catching
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. net — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — a tin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — to be able to
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hand — in cards
  12. row — a line
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hide — to keep secret

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