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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. net — for catching
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. squash — to crush
  17. net — after costs
  18. wax — to grow
  19. net — in sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rush — hurry
  24. squash — the sport

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