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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. race — the arms race
  4. can — to be able to
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. race — a contest
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. craft — boats
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. can — a tin
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. can — a tin
  20. bark — to shout
  21. craft — a skill
  22. race — humankind
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. prune — to trim

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