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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — low music
  5. deal — to handle
  6. season — in sport
  7. perch — the fish
  8. current — happening now
  9. season — of the year
  10. scale — size or range
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — of water
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. current — electric
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bass — the fish
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. scale — for weighing

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