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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. game — a match
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. craft — boats
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. game — wild animals

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