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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. net — in sport
  3. craft — a skill
  4. hand — help
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. net — after costs
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — the fish
  12. hand — in cards
  13. foot — a measure
  14. season — of the year
  15. present — a gift
  16. net — for catching
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. craft — boats
  20. season — in sport
  21. present — there
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pitcher — a jug

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