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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. can — a tin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to click
  10. drill — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pit — in a race
  13. drill — army training
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. can — a tin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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