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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. saw — the tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. bass — the fish
  6. swing — music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. swing — in golf
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. season — in sport
  13. land — to come down
  14. bass — low music
  15. land — ground
  16. dip — to sink
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. land — a country
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. swing — to play on
  24. racket — a loud noise

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