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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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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: bat · root · pound · mouse · net · perch · key · cabinet

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. net — in sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bat — the animal
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. root — of a word
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. key — in music
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. root — the cause
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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