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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. can — a tin
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. club — for golf
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. club — a group
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pit — a hole
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — in a race
  17. can — a tin
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. season — in sport
  22. club — for dancing
  23. net — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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