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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. present — the time now
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mine — for digging
  16. ball — a great time
  17. present — there
  18. key — in music
  19. ball — a dance
  20. craft — boats
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. key — for a lock
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. craft — a skill

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