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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wake — a trail
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. squash — to crush
  18. perch — the fish
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. can — a tin

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