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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. march — the month
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chip — for betting
  5. march — music
  6. wake — a trail
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. march — the month
  11. bass — low music
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chip — to eat
  16. saw — the tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. arm — part of the body

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