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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. season — of the year
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. firm — decided
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. firm — a company
  11. bulb — for light
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. firm — steady
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bat — the animal
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bulb — for light

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