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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mine — for digging
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. present — there
  9. cue — a hint
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. present — a gift
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bass — low music
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. craft — boats
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cue — a signal
  22. firm — a company
  23. present — the time now
  24. bass — the fish

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