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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ground — the earth
  7. net — for catching
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — after costs
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fine — all right
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. ground — crushed
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. net — in sport
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. ground — a position

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