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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. file — a line of people
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cell — in biology
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. charge — in control
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bank — of a river
  19. file — a document
  20. net — after costs
  21. charge — a price
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. file — a 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