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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. toast — bread
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. craft — boats
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. scale — size or range
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chest — a box
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. scale — in music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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