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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. perch — the fish
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bass — low music
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rash — a series
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cap — a lid

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