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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. craft — a skill
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. craft — boats
  12. saw — the tool
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. saw — the tool
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bark — of a tree

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