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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. net — for catching
  3. present — there
  4. net — after costs
  5. present — a gift
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rock — music
  8. mark — a grade
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. perch — the fish
  12. present — the time now
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. season — of the year
  20. mark — a trace
  21. scale — in music
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. season — in sport
  24. net — in sport

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