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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. court — for sport
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. net — for catching
  7. saw — the tool
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. court — of law
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. perch — the fish
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. row — to paddle
  24. court — of a king

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