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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. club — for dancing
  4. file — a tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — a group
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. file — a document
  11. dip — to sink
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bass — low music
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bass — the fish
  16. perch — the fish
  17. file — a line of people
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. track — a path
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. track — a song
  24. club — for golf

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