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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. club — for golf
  8. lean — to bend
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. club — for dancing
  18. toast — bread
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lean — thin
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. club — a group

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