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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. swing — music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. perch — the fish
  24. safe — out of danger

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