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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. net — after costs
  6. race — a contest
  7. net — in sport
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mark — a trace
  10. net — for catching
  11. mark — a grade
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. race — humankind
  14. perch — the fish
  15. firm — steady
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. craft — boats
  19. firm — decided
  20. tear — to rip
  21. firm — a company
  22. tear — from crying
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. race — the arms race

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