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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. perch — the fish
  3. net — in sport
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. court — of law
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. net — for catching
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. net — after costs
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mate — a friend
  18. court — for sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. court — of a king
  23. fall — the season
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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