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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. craft — a skill
  3. drill — a practice
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — a tin
  6. drill — the tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. perch — the fish
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. toast — bread
  13. pound — a weight
  14. race — a contest
  15. craft — boats
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. drill — army training
  21. can — a tin
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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