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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. season — of the year
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wax — to grow
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. season — in sport
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pass — a permit
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pitch — completely
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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