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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. key — in music
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. field — for sport
  6. craft — boats
  7. key — for a lock
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. field — farmland
  22. craft — a skill
  23. field — a subject
  24. vault — a safe

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