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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. plane — a tool
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. season — in sport
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wake — a trail
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. present — the time now
  13. court — for sport
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. net — after costs
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. perch — the fish
  21. net — in sport
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. season — of the year

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