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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. net — in sport
  6. rock — a stone
  7. staff — employees
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. staff — a stick
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rock — music
  17. track — a path
  18. perch — the fish
  19. track — a song
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. net — for catching
  23. track — to keep track
  24. net — after costs

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