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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. squash — the sport
  3. swing — in golf
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — music
  6. bass — low music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. land — a country
  14. bass — the fish
  15. perch — the fish
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cap — a lid

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