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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. net — after costs
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mine — for digging
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. hand — in cards
  9. face — to point toward
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. net — for catching
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. content — the amount
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. perch — the fish
  18. toast — bread
  19. face — to confront
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. face — part of the head
  22. net — in sport
  23. hand — help
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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