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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. season — of the year
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bound — tied together
  13. swing — in golf
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bound — certain
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bass — low music
  18. swing — music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. swing — to play on
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bass — the fish

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