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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bass — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. firm — a company
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — low music
  18. swing — music
  19. firm — decided
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. firm — steady
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. chest — of your body

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