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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 120 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bass — the fish
  6. swing — music
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bass — low music
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bear — the animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. swing — in golf
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. swing — to play on
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. perch — for a bird

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