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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bass — low music
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. chest — a box
  5. bass — the fish
  6. chest — of your body
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. root — the cause
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. scale — in music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chest — of your body
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. root — of a word
  22. perch — the fish
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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