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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: net · straw · date · mate · sharp · perch · toast · roll

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. net — for catching
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mate — a partner
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. roll — a list
  11. sharp — clever
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. net — in sport
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. net — after costs
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. toast — bread
  21. roll — a cake
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. straw — dry grass

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