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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bass — low music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. perch — the fish
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cue — a hint
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. root — the cause
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. squash — the sport
  24. root — of a word

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