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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 124 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bore — to drill
  3. net — after costs
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. net — for catching
  8. perch — the fish
  9. content — the amount
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. content — happy
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kick — in football
  19. bore — to tire
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. date — the fruit
  24. kick — a thrill

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