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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. spell — letters
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bass — the fish
  5. spell — magic
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. suit — to fit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bass — low music
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. spell — a short time

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