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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. row — to paddle
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — after costs
  7. row — a line
  8. saw — the tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. capital — a city
  11. firm — steady
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. foot — a measure
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. perch — the fish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. saw — the tool
  20. net — for catching
  21. firm — a company
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. net — in sport
  24. firm — decided

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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