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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. roll — a list
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rock — a stone
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bass — the fish
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bank — for money
  24. rock — music

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