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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bass — low music
  5. perch — the fish
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kick — in football
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitcher — a jug

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