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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — high quality
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fine — all right
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. can — a tin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. swing — to play on
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wind — moving air
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. prune — to trim
  24. can — to be able to

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