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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cue — a signal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pop — soda
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. craft — boats
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. perch — for a bird

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