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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. season — of the year
  11. band — a ring
  12. pound — a weight
  13. toast — bread
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bass — the instrument

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