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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mug — a face
  4. club — a group
  5. bass — low music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bass — the fish
  9. track — a song
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. perch — the fish
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. club — for dancing
  18. sharp — clever
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. track — a path
  22. mug — to rob
  23. club — for golf
  24. stand — on your feet

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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