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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. perch — the fish
  3. craft — a skill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fall — to drop
  7. craft — boats
  8. fall — the season
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. land — to come down
  11. suit — in cards
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — ground
  22. suit — clothes
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. craft — a handicraft

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