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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. perch — the fish
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pit — in a race
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. craft — a skill
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. season — in sport
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. craft — boats
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pit — a hole

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