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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. swing — music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ground — the earth
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ground — crushed
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ball — a dance
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ground — a position
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. row — a line
  23. content — happy
  24. ball — a great time

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