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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fine — all right
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pit — in a race
  6. craft — boats
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. suit — to fit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. craft — a handicraft

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