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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 116 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bore — to drill
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rest — a break
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pitch — completely
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. rest — what's left
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rest — what's left
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. perch — the fish

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