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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. drill — army training
  3. craft — a skill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. craft — boats
  6. present — the time now
  7. key — in music
  8. present — there
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bear — the animal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. present — a gift
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bore — to drill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. perch — the fish

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