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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. staff — employees
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bass — low music
  11. mine — for digging
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. sharp — clever
  17. staff — employees
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. leaves — to go away

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