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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rash — a series
  3. spell — a short time
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitch — completely
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pitch — a sports field

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