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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · net · lie · game · perch · toast · pass · stick

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. net — in sport
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. staff — employees
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. net — after costs
  10. staff — a stick
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lie — to recline
  13. perch — the fish
  14. staff — employees
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. net — for catching
  19. pass — a permit
  20. game — a match
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. toast — bread

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