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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bass — low music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. game — a match
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. perch — the fish
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bat — the animal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. craft — boats
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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