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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. bound — certain
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — low music
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. foot — a measure
  15. can — to be able to
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. land — to come down
  18. bound — obliged
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bound — tied together
  23. perch — the fish
  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