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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bass — low music
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pop — music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. face — to point toward
  8. perch — the fish
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bass — the fish
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. face — to confront
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pop — soda
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitch — completely
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pop — to visit
  24. row — a line

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