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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a great time
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stock — shares
  6. craft — boats
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stock — goods
  11. date — the fruit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rash — a series
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rash — hasty
  22. craft — a skill
  23. vault — a safe
  24. ball — a dance

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