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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. swing — to play on
  3. perch — the fish
  4. suit — to fit
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pop — music
  7. swing — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pop — soda
  10. suit — clothes
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fine — all right
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. tear — from crying
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pop — to visit
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fine — high quality

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