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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rock — music
  6. craft — boats
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. nail — on a finger

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