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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. craft — a skill
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. craft — boats
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wind — moving air
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fine — all right
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fine — high quality
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. chip — in a computer

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