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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.

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

Word bank: perch · hand · bass · cabinet · mug · fork · sharp · kid

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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. kid — child
  4. fork — in a road
  5. kid — to tease
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mug — a face
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hand — help
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mug — to rob
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bass — low music
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. hand — in cards
  24. perch — for a bird

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