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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mate — a friend
  5. net — after costs
  6. key — for a lock
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stock — shares
  9. rule — government
  10. board — a committee
  11. net — for catching
  12. key — in music
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mate — to breed
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rule — a law
  23. net — in sport
  24. board — to get on

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