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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. club — for golf
  3. suit — clothes
  4. net — in sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. suit — in cards
  7. net — for catching
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. season — of the year
  11. rash — hasty
  12. net — after costs
  13. club — a group
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rash — a series
  17. club — for dancing
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mine — for digging
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mine — belonging to me

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