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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. march — the month
  3. scale — in music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. suit — in cards
  10. net — in sport
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. net — after costs
  14. scale — size or range
  15. march — the month
  16. pitch — completely
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. net — for catching
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. march — music
  23. suit — clothes
  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