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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — in sport
  4. ball — a dance
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. perch — the fish
  12. drill — a practice
  13. kid — child
  14. key — in music
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. pound — a weight
  18. drill — army training
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. key — for a lock
  21. drill — the tool
  22. kid — to tease
  23. net — after costs
  24. ball — a great time

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