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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bass — low music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. net — for catching
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. roll — a cake
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. net — after costs
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. net — in sport
  18. swing — in golf
  19. roll — a list
  20. perch — the fish
  21. swing — to play on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cabinet — ministers

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