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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. craft — a skill
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. firm — steady
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bark — to shout
  9. season — in sport
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. firm — decided
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. craft — boats
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. firm — a company
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ball — a dance
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. season — of the year
  24. prune — to trim

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