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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. net — after costs
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wind — moving air
  11. club — for golf
  12. net — for catching
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. net — in sport
  20. club — a group
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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