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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: pop · court · bear · net · staff · cabinet · perch · squash

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — for sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. court — of a king
  11. squash — to crush
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — employees
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. staff — employees
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. court — of law
  21. pop — music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bear — the animal

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