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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — for catching
  4. suit — to fit
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. mark — a trace
  13. perch — the fish
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. suit — clothes
  23. band — a ring
  24. date — on the calendar

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