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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. craft — a skill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. craft — boats
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bore — to drill
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mate — a friend

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