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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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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: pound · toast · bat · perch · lean · bowl · net · cue

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. net — in sport
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. net — after costs
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. lean — thin
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. net — for catching
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. toast — bread
  24. pound — a weight

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