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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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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: calf · ground · net · perch · shower · leaves · fine · saw

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. saw — the tool
  3. net — in sport
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ground — the earth
  7. perch — the fish
  8. net — for catching
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. shower — to wash
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. fine — high quality
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fine — all right
  20. shower — rain
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ground — a position
  23. saw — the tool
  24. net — after costs

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