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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. capital — a city
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pass — a permit
  13. perch — the fish
  14. last — finally
  15. bass — low music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. dip — to sink
  24. capital — money

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