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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — the fish
  5. board — a committee
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. rash — a series
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. squash — the sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. charge — in control
  15. rash — hasty
  16. board — to get on
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. squash — to crush
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. foot — the bottom

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