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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. net — after costs
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bass — the fish
  6. current — happening now
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bound — certain
  10. pit — a hole
  11. net — in sport
  12. rush — hurry
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bound — tied together
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pit — in a race
  17. current — electric
  18. bass — low music
  19. net — for catching
  20. current — of water
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rush — to hurry

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