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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fork — in a road
  3. firm — steady
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spell — letters
  6. hand — help
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. craft — a skill
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. race — the arms race
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. spell — magic
  20. firm — a company
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. hand — in cards
  23. spell — a short time
  24. firm — decided

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