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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. kick — in football
  4. net — for catching
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rash — hasty
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. net — in sport
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rash — a series
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. net — after costs

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