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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bass — low music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fork — in a road
  15. season — in sport
  16. rush — hurry
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cue — for pool
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. game — a match

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