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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. can — a tin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. plane — a tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. root — the cause
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. court — of law
  12. net — after costs
  13. court — for sport
  14. can — to be able to
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. net — in sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. can — a tin

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