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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 116 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bass — low music
  8. mug — a face
  9. bass — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mug — to rob
  14. row — to paddle
  15. net — for catching
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — in sport
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. net — after costs

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