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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rock — a stone
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bear — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. game — a match
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. shower — rain
  17. craft — boats
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bear — the animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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