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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lean — thin
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. capital — a city
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. capital — money
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bass — low music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bass — the fish
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lean — to bend

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