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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bark — to shout
  5. net — in sport
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. game — a match
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. suit — in cards
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. net — after costs
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

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