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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. clip — to cut
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pop — to visit
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. staff — employees
  10. pop — soda
  11. toast — bread
  12. net — after costs
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. staff — a stick
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. chair — a leader
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. clip — a video
  21. staff — employees
  22. pop — music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. clip — for paper

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