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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. scale — in music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bank — for money
  5. bass — the fish
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bank — for money
  8. mug — a cup
  9. staff — employees
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. spell — letters
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. shower — to wash
  14. scale — size or range
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bass — low music
  17. shower — rain
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mug — a face
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mug — to rob
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. staff — employees
  24. spell — magic

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