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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — boats
  3. can — to be able to
  4. perch — the fish
  5. craft — a skill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pound — a weight
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spell — magic
  10. fine — all right
  11. can — a tin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rash — hasty
  14. can — a tin
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spell — letters
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rash — a series
  23. fine — high quality
  24. spell — a short 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