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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.

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: bass · pitcher · kid · mouse · bank · net · perch · bear

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bear — the animal
  6. net — in sport
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. net — for catching
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bank — of a river
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. kid — to tease

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