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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. drill — army training
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wound — an injury
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wound — an injury
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bass — low music
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. drill — a practice
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bulb — for light

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