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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spell — magic
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fine — all right
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. present — there
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. present — the time now
  12. craft — boats
  13. spell — a short time
  14. net — for catching
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. present — a gift
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. net — in sport
  20. pound — a weight
  21. fine — high quality
  22. spell — letters
  23. net — after costs
  24. lean — thin

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