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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bass — the fish
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fine — all right
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. perch — the fish
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fine — high quality
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bass — low music
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — a trainer

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