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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bass — low music
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. perch — for a bird

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