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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. net — after costs
  3. club — a group
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. perch — the fish
  6. present — there
  7. firm — decided
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fine — all right
  13. firm — steady
  14. present — the time now
  15. fine — high quality
  16. club — for golf
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. present — a gift
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. firm — a company

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