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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. scale — in music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — a cup
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bass — low music
  13. mug — a face
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bass — the fish
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. perch — the fish
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mug — to rob
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. calf — of the leg

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