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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 120 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 is an ace ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — a trace
  3. perch — the fish
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rest — what's left
  7. last — final
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rest — a break
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bass — low music
  20. last — to go on
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bass — the fish
  23. last — finally
  24. sharp — exactly

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