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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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 handicraft
  3. ball — a dance
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. craft — boats
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. can — a tin
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — a video
  11. can — a tin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. craft — a skill
  15. can — to be able to
  16. root — of a word
  17. ball — a great time
  18. root — of a plant
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. clip — for paper
  21. root — the cause
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. vault — a safe

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