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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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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitch — completely
  3. present — the time now
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. face — to point toward
  6. perch — the fish
  7. net — in sport
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. face — to confront
  12. present — a gift
  13. board — a committee
  14. net — after costs
  15. present — there
  16. rash — hasty
  17. net — for catching
  18. spell — letters
  19. board — to get on
  20. face — part of the head
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. spell — magic
  24. perch — for a bird

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