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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. track — a path
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bat — the animal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bass — the fish
  11. track — a song
  12. fall — the season
  13. bass — low music
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bound — certain
  18. suit — clothes
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fall — to drop
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. suit — in cards

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