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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. shower — rain
  4. net — after costs
  5. can — a tin
  6. swing — music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pound — a weight
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. net — in sport
  16. shower — to wash
  17. can — a tin
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rush — hurry
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. swing — in golf

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