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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.

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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. march — the month
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — the fish
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. swing — music
  11. branch — a division
  12. craft — a skill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. march — music
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. bass — low music
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. craft — boats

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