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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ground — the earth
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — to keep track
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — a song
  10. ground — crushed
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. track — a path
  18. net — for catching
  19. board — to get on
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. board — a committee
  23. net — in sport
  24. ground — a position

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