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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. spell — magic
  5. bass — the fish
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. squash — to crush
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bass — low music
  11. spell — letters
  12. date — the fruit
  13. squash — the sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. craft — a skill
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pit — a hole
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. craft — boats
  24. perch — 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