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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ball — a great time
  3. swing — to play on
  4. ball — a dance
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. saw — the tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. track — a path
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. swing — music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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