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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. perch — the fish
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bass — low music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fine — all right
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pass — a permit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hand — in cards
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. scale — in music
  24. hand — help

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