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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · cap · plane · perch · wake · rock · mug · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. perch — the fish
  3. net — in sport
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rock — a stone
  6. net — after costs
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mug — a face
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rock — music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cap — of ice

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