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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. row — to paddle
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pop — soda
  13. craft — boats
  14. pop — to visit
  15. spell — magic
  16. row — a line
  17. pop — music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. spell — letters
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tube — a container
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spell — a short time

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