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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. net — after costs
  7. fall — to drop
  8. perch — the fish
  9. net — in sport
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lean — thin
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. chip — for betting
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bear — to put up with

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