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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. deal — to handle
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — an aim
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. land — a country
  10. object — to protest
  11. land — to come down
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. sharp — clever
  17. perch — the fish
  18. land — ground
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. object — a thing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. calf — of the leg

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