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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. net — in sport
  7. degree — from a university
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. net — after costs
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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