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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. craft — boats
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spell — magic
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mug — to rob
  14. spell — a short time
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. spell — letters
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. craft — a skill
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. racket — for tennis

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