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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. club — for golf
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mark — a grade
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wound — an injury
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bass — the fish
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. club — a group
  19. bass — low music
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mark — a trace
  23. club — for dancing
  24. craft — a skill

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