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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. net — after costs
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — a trace
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. firm — decided
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — steady
  15. perch — the fish
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mark — a grade

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