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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bass — the fish
  4. staff — employees
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. staff — a stick
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bass — low music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ball — a great time
  15. firm — steady
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cap — of ice
  18. firm — decided
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. staff — employees
  22. perch — the fish
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cold — not warm

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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