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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. bass — the instrument
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. roll — a list
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. staff — employees
  13. last — finally
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bulb — for light
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. roll — a cake
  23. foot — the bottom
  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