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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.

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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 common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. net — after costs
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pass — a permit
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. net — in sport
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. board — a committee
  18. squash — to crush
  19. tube — a container
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. board — to get on
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

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