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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. net — in sport
  3. foot — a measure
  4. net — after costs
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lie — to recline
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. swing — music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. object — to protest
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. object — an aim
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. craft — a skill
  18. perch — the fish
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. net — for catching
  21. craft — boats
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. object — a thing
  24. swing — to play on

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