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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pit — in a race
  8. saw — the tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bass — low music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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