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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: sharp · net · stand · face · perch · mouse · ground · band

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. net — after costs
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ground — a position
  13. face — to confront
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. net — in sport
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — part of the head
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ground — crushed
  21. band — a ring
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ground — the earth
  24. net — for catching

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