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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lean — to bend
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. scale — in music
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bass — low music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. lean — thin
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. fan — to cool the air

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