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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fine — all right
  6. perch — the fish
  7. net — for catching
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fine — high quality
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. net — in sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. net — after costs
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mug — to rob
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fine — a penalty

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