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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pop — music
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. key — in music
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. craft — a skill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bat — the animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. key — the most important part
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pop — soda
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. racket — for tennis

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