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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mug — a face
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. perch — the fish
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wake — a trail
  24. trunk — of a car

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