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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. toast — bread
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. saw — the tool
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. race — a contest
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. saw — the tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. pass — a permit
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bass — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. race — the arms race
  23. perch — the fish
  24. race — humankind

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