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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. spell — magic
  3. sharp — clever
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. suit — in cards
  6. craft — boats
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. suit — to fit
  10. capital — money
  11. pop — music
  12. march — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. capital — a city
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — a skill
  17. spell — letters
  18. march — the month
  19. pop — to visit
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. suit — clothes
  22. spell — a short time
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pop — soda

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