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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. perch — the fish
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rest — what's left
  10. drill — the tool
  11. staff — a stick
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rest — a break
  19. staff — employees
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bass — low music
  23. pitch — completely
  24. drill — army training

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