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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bass — the fish
  4. object — to protest
  5. lean — thin
  6. scale — size or range
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wind — moving air
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. club — for golf
  13. deal — to handle
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lean — to bend
  24. deal — an agreement

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