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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. foot — a measure
  3. track — a path
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. drill — the tool
  6. net — after costs
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. firm — decided
  9. drill — a practice
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. track — to keep track
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. perch — the fish
  15. firm — a company
  16. chip — for betting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. drill — army training
  19. net — in sport
  20. chip — to eat
  21. firm — steady
  22. track — a song
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. foot — part of the body

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