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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bound — tied together
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bound — obliged
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bound — certain
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. perch — for a bird
  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