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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stem — to come from
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. swing — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pass — a permit
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. nail — for a hammer

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