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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — shares
  5. craft — a skill
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. season — in sport
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. season — of the year
  22. stock — goods
  23. mine — for digging
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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