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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. land — a country
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. present — a gift
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. craft — boats
  10. land — ground
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fork — in a road
  16. craft — a skill
  17. present — there
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. present — the time now
  20. board — a committee
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. land — to come down
  23. board — to get on
  24. bat — for baseball

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