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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bound — certain
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. perch — the fish
  10. spell — magic
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bear — the animal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. spell — letters
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bass — low music

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