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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fork — in a road
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. chest — of your body
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mug — a cup
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chest — of your body
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. ball — a dance
  18. date — the fruit
  19. chest — a box
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. ball — a great time

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