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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. game — wild animals
  5. date — the fruit
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rock — a stone
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. game — a match
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rock — music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. craft — boats
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rock — to move gently

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