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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. staff — employees
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ground — a position
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. net — in sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ground — crushed
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. racket — a loud noise

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