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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. file — a tool
  4. rest — a break
  5. deal — to handle
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. file — a document
  11. cap — of ice
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. net — in sport
  16. rest — what's left
  17. foot — a measure
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cap — a hat
  23. perch — the fish
  24. file — a line of people

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