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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — to handle
  4. content — happy
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. suit — clothes
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rash — a series
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. tube — a container
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rash — hasty
  20. content — the amount
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. suit — in cards
  24. content — videos and posts

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