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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. track — a song
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. net — after costs
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. net — in sport
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. track — a path
  17. suit — to fit
  18. perch — the fish
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. track — to keep track
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fork — in a road
  23. net — for catching
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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