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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. club — for dancing
  3. swing — to play on
  4. craft — boats
  5. key — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. swing — music
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. land — ground
  12. key — for a lock
  13. scale — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. land — a country
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. club — a group
  19. swing — in golf
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bass — the fish
  23. club — for golf
  24. bass — low music

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