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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. net — for catching
  14. bass — the fish
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. vault — a safe
  17. perch — the fish
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bass — low music
  24. leaves — of a tree

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