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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 120 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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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: foot · cue · file · calf · club · bass · craft · perch

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. bass — low music
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. file — a document
  4. cue — a signal
  5. club — for dancing
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. craft — a skill
  10. file — a tool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. file — a line of people
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cue — for pool
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. club — a group
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. club — for golf
  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