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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. net — after costs
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — a group
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cap — of ice
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. net — for catching
  15. pit — in a race
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. net — in sport
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fork — in a road
  24. squash — to crush

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