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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — after costs
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. hand — help
  7. pound — a weight
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. hand — in cards
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. toast — bread
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. firm — decided
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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