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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bass — the fish
  8. hand — in cards
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fine — high quality
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hand — help
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fine — all right
  21. pass — a permit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pass — to succeed

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