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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. craft — a skill
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. row — a line
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rock — music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. row — to paddle
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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