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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
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: fine · bat · bark · scale · game · pit · bass · perch

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. perch — the fish
  5. game — wild animals
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bass — low music
  11. fine — all right
  12. scale — in music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. game — a match
  16. bat — the animal
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fine — high quality
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. scale — size or range

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