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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rock — music
  6. staff — a stick
  7. last — to go on
  8. rock — a stone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bat — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — boats
  17. staff — employees
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pass — a permit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. last — finally
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bat — for baseball

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