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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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468
Word bank
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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. net — for catching
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cue — a signal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — in sport
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. net — after costs
  11. cue — a hint
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pit — a hole
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — high quality
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — all right
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pit — in a race
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cue — for pool

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