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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bass — the fish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bass — low music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. craft — a skill
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. perch — the fish
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — in football
  24. prune — the fruit

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