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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. net — in sport
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. firm — a company
  5. net — for catching
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. perch — the fish
  9. march — the month
  10. craft — boats
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. march — the month
  14. firm — steady
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. net — after costs
  18. march — music
  19. rock — music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. plane — a tool
  22. firm — decided
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rock — a stone

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