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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. swing — music
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. swing — in golf
  5. perch — the fish
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cell — a phone
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. swing — to play on
  24. trunk — of a car

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