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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. charge — a price
  5. craft — a skill
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. scale — size or range
  12. craft — boats
  13. squash — the sport
  14. charge — in control
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — in music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. perch — the fish
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. can — a tin
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. charge — electricity
  23. foot — a measure
  24. can — a tin

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