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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.

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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ball — a great time
  5. dip — to sink
  6. craft — boats
  7. stock — shares
  8. pop — music
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. craft — a skill
  11. roll — a list
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. roll — a cake
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stock — goods
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pop — soda
  24. perch — for a bird

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