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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. craft — boats
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. ground — the earth
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mine — for digging
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. ground — crushed
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ground — a position

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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