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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rush — hurry
  4. club — a group
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rash — a series
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. craft — boats
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. row — to paddle
  15. craft — a skill
  16. club — for golf
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. club — for dancing
  21. row — a line
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bowl — a football final

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