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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. net — in sport
  3. mate — to breed
  4. net — after costs
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. net — for catching
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mate — a friend
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wax — to grow
  17. track — a path
  18. dip — to sink
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mate — a partner
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. track — a song

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