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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — in sport
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. snap — to click
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bass — low music
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. track — a path
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. perch — the fish
  21. season — of the year
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. season — to add flavour

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