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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.

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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. craft — boats
  3. perch — the fish
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. land — ground
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pop — music
  15. roll — a cake
  16. land — a country
  17. roll — a list
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lean — thin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. land — to come down
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pop — soda
  24. roll — on a roll

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