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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. craft — a skill
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. perch — the fish
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. court — of law
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bear — the animal
  20. craft — boats
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. snap — to click
  24. pound — to hit hard

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