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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.

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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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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: row · bass · fine · cabinet · perch · ball · saw · spell

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. spell — a short time
  4. row — to paddle
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spell — magic
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. spell — letters
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. row — a line
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bass — the fish
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fine — high quality
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bass — low music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. ball — a dance

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