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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. craft — boats
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. spell — letters
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. plane — a tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. spell — a short time
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. craft — a skill

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