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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. swing — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. chair — a leader
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. swing — to play on
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cell — in biology
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — in golf
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mug — a cup

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