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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mine — for digging
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. swing — to play on
  11. track — a path
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. track — to keep track
  21. swing — music
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. plane — a tool

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