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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — for catching
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. deal — to handle
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. current — electric
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. toast — bread
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. last — to go on
  14. net — in sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. squash — to crush
  18. last — finally
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bear — the animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. last — final
  24. bear — the animal

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