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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. perch — the fish
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. net — after costs
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bat — the animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. vault — a safe
  22. net — in sport
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wax — for sculpting

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