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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. net — for catching
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. firm — decided
  7. net — after costs
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. firm — a company
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — a friend
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. firm — steady
  21. perch — the fish
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fall — the season

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