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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. net — for catching
  3. scale — in music
  4. game — a match
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. net — in sport
  7. pop — to visit
  8. net — after costs
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cue — a hint
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cue — for pool
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rock — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pop — music

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