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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. net — after costs
  3. spell — magic
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. net — for catching
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bank — for money
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bank — for money
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. net — in sport
  23. spell — letters
  24. perch — the fish

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