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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. net — for catching
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pop — soda
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitch — completely
  19. foot — a measure
  20. net — after costs
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. net — in sport
  24. bowl — to roll

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