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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. craft — a skill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. saw — the tool
  18. craft — boats
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pound — to hit hard

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