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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 116 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. staff — employees
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. staff — employees
  8. drill — army training
  9. bass — low music
  10. drill — the tool
  11. chip — to eat
  12. saw — the tool
  13. swing — to play on
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chip — for betting
  16. drill — a practice
  17. swing — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. craft — boats
  23. staff — a stick
  24. perch — the fish

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