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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · bass · perch · court · craft · mine · swing · scale

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. swing — to play on
  4. court — of a king
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. court — of law
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — boats
  10. scale — in music
  11. swing — music
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mine — for digging
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bass — low music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. court — for sport
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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