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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pop — to visit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. prune — to trim
  14. game — a match
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. kick — in football
  18. bass — low music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — soda
  21. prune — to trim
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. kick — with a leg

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