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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. net — in sport
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cue — for pool
  8. row — to paddle
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. net — for catching
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cue — a hint
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. fork — in a road
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. plane — a tool
  20. row — a line
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. net — after costs
  24. fork — a garden tool

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