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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: hide · perch · bowl · race · toast · drill · fine · net

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. net — after costs
  11. fine — all right
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. drill — the tool
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. drill — army training
  16. net — in sport
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. race — a contest
  19. drill — a practice
  20. net — for catching
  21. toast — bread
  22. fine — high quality
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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