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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. club — a group
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. craft — a skill
  7. perch — the fish
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — a match
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. season — in sport
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. craft — boats
  17. club — for dancing
  18. kick — in football
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. club — for golf
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bowl — a dish

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