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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. perch — the fish
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. net — after costs
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bat — the animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. sharp — clever
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. club — for dancing
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. suit — to fit
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. toast — bread
  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