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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 120 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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bound — certain
  4. craft — boats
  5. march — the month
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. march — the month
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bound — tied together
  17. march — music
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cap — a lid
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mine — for digging

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